Challenge

The financial industry is changing at a high pace. New players are cutting into the value chain and new customer demands arise with digitization, of course, being the main driver. At the same time, major banks are perceived as confusingly similar. Leading Nordic bank SEB turned to Kurppa Hosk for support in clarifying its role in this new landscape.

One of the most important requirements was to reinforce the bank’s aspiration to deliver ”World-class service”, e.g., through a greater digital focus. Another priority was to help SEB create a stronger emotional bond with their clients, based on SEB’s customer promise, ”Genuinely committed to those who strive to be more.” Also, on the wishlist was to re-energize the bank’s current employees, while helping attract new talent with new, crucial skills.

Approach

Kurppa Hosk approached this complex and comprehensive task by auditing and analyzing SEB’s brand and identity. The purpose was to identify any gaps between SEB’s aspirations and its existing brand identity. The output from this process was a set of tangible design principles to serve as the starting point for redesigning each specific component of SEB’s identity. Together with the client, we mapped out all of SEB’s numerous brand touch points in order to clarify its extensive brand environment.

Outcome

Based on the above, Kurppa Hosk developed a new brand identity, including updates of SEB’s iconic logo and green color. We also introduced a new set of vibrant secondary colors, a more consistent and vital imagery, a fifth element deriving from the square in the logo, and a custom typeface designed with special attention to digital legibility. The identity was conceived in close collaboration with relevant SEB teams – branding, digital operations, communications, retail and real estate.

This was essential for meeting all functional requirements and securing a coherent, relevant, structured and energetic brand experience – across SEB’s vast geographical, digital and business universe. All while keeping in mind our objective to deliver on the bank’s ambitious and aspirational goals.